Away-day specialists Brighton can win promotion at Middlesbrough

Recent form on Teesside suggests Albion win

Tomorrow’s clash between Middlesbrough and Brighton & Hove Albion is essentially this season’s first Championship’s play-off final. Both are locked on 88 points, but a superior goal difference means Boro have the upper hand right now, with a draw enough to send Aitor Karanka’s men up.

However, it’s Brighton who go into this crunch game in the better form, and Chris Hughton’s men have an outstanding recent record at the Riverside Stadium.

The Seagulls have seven wins and two draws from their last nine games, while Boro are winless in three.

And the Albion have won twice in their last three trips to Teesside, grabbing a share of the spoils on the other occasion.

While Boro do boast one of the league’s most prolific goalscorers in Jordan Rhodes, it’s their visitors who have a striker in sensational form right now.

Israeli hitman Tomer Hemed has netted six times in his last eight games, and the smart money could be on the former Mallorca man netting the opener here at 11/2.

The East Sussex outfit do have their work cut out, with Boro having only lost four home games all season. However, Hughton’s men have recorded five straight wins on the road, meaning the best bet for an outright result appears to lie with the 5/2 visitors.

One thing we’re almost guaranteed is goals. Each of these sides have scored and conceded in four of their last five outings, so BTTS and Middlesbrough to win (we’ve boosted the price – was 10/3 NOW 4/1) and Brighton to win (6/1) are likely to prove popular selections.

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Dave graduated with an MA in English Literature at Durham University, and worked in marketing before joining the Ladbrokes News team. A Man United fan and avid groundhopper, he’s also an ardent follower of Rugby League. You can usually find him at a ground near you, clutching a big cup of tea.